My impression reports for Historical and Geographical
Settings of the Bible, with Jerusalem University College
Week 1
Field Day 1: The Old City
It is
true by saying that we are coming back to our own city. Jerusalem, the city of
God, the city where God’s people gather, I had familiar feeling when I entered
JUC this morning. The atmosphere of JUC reminded me of the Buddhist monastery
where my grandma resided during her later years. The temperature, the serenity,
the long pathway before the entrance, the plants, and the old buildings are
just like the New Territory of Hong Kong, which occupied part of my childhood
memory. Thus, the Old City is not strange or that new to me, but more like
coming back to my ancestor’s town.
Standing
outside the Western Wall of the Old City from the rooftop observation, I felt
as unspeakable as the Jewish who are wailing at the remnant of our religious
heritage. The most depressing thing was that Josephus claims that 1,100,000 people
were killed during the siege, of which a majority were Jewish, and that 97,000
were captured and enslaved. The fire spread quickly and was soon out of
control. The Temple was destroyed on Tisha B'Av, in the beginning of August,
and the flames spread into the residential sections of the city.
Nevertheless, the wailing
that started in 70 AD has lasted until today to many Jews. I saw this as an
ironic scene that God set before the Jewish eyes. Once they had the Temple to
sacrifice, but they turned it into a market of exchange. Now what sits on the
Temple Mount is the Dome of the Rock just right on top of it. That not only
makes the Jews wail for their desperate hope for the Messiah and rebuild of the
Temple, but the religious conflict with their Muslim neighbors. The tension
will not be solved until the true shalom that will come when Jesus’ return and
his tabernacle descent from heaven.
Field Day 2: OT Jerusalem
Walk
City of David, seeing the city packed very tightly
reminded me the living condition in Hong Kong. I used to live with my parents
and sister in a small apartment for a long time until I graduated from college.
I believe David would have to live in harmony and intimately with his people in
the town. When he became the king of the monarchy, he remembered the tabernacle
of God, and he wanted to build God a temple in Jerusalem.
Hezekiah’s Tunnel was recorded in 2Kings 20:20 “As for
the other events of Hezekiah’s reign, all his achievements and how he made the
pool and the tunnel by which he brought water into the city, are they not
written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?” It was very
impressive to see and for some people walk in the tunnel that was built two
thousands years ago. It shows God even used Hezekiah to spear the lives of his
chosen people in time of hardship.
Pool of Shiloah (Siloam) was
another magnificent project in addition to the Gihon Spring located in the
southern part of the City of David with several water systems. These include
Warren’s Shaft, which featured a stepped tunnel and vertical shaft to provide
protected access to the city’s water supply during times of warfare; the
Shiloah water channel, which ran along the east side of the Ophel Ridge and
conveyed water to the valley to the east for irrigation purposes; and
Hezekiah’s Tunnel, cut 558 m. (1831 ft.) through the bedrock of the ridge to
convey water from Gihon Spring on the city’s east side to the Siloam Pool on
the southwest (2 Kgs. 18:13-18; 20:20). That is the pool Jesus said to the man
who was blind from birth, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent).
So he went and washed and came back seeing.” (Joh. 9:7).
Field Day 3: NT Jerusalem
Walk
The Upper Room, I was
especially linked with this site because I wrote an exegesis page on John 14
about Jesus farewell discourse with his disciples. It was the place with much
significance. After Jesus ascended, his disciples gathered here, “when they had
entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and
John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James
the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James” (Acts
1:13).
Jerusalem Archaeological
Park contained many findings from the City of David. One thing that I pay attention
to there is the Second Temple’s image on the coin. It represents how the glory
of God has left the temple because it was much smaller than the previous temple
and God’s people were not worshipping there wholeheartedly. Furthermore, Herod
the Great built his palace higher than the temple over a platform also on the
Temple Mount. It is a sad picture to see the chaos happened in history.
Another depressing scene to
see is the collapsed on the paved street are stones of the western wall that
were hurled down by the solders of Roman Legion after he destruction of the
temple on the 9th of the month of Av, 70 CE.
The Robinson’s arch, the stone that bore a Hebrew
inscription: “to the place of trumpeting to…” In the second temple days this stone
probably marked the place at the top of the southwest corner of the Temple
Mount where the trumpeter announced the inauguration and the close of the
Sabbath. The stairs from the South to the Temple Mount, 2 pilgrims gates on
left and 3 supplies gates on the right.
The Bethesda pool, Basilique
Byzantine, Archaeology has enabled a pool at Bethesda in Jerusalem to be
identified as the scene of one of Jesus’ miracles. This was the healing of the paralyzed
man who had waited for 38 years for someone to help him into the pool “when the
water is stirred” an event believed to have curative powers.
The Gospel account says Jesus told the man, “Stand up,
take your mat and walk”, and immediately he was made well.
Via Dolorosa, although no
one knows what path did Jesus walked with the cross for me it was meaningful to
remember the suffering that Christ took to save me. The 14 stops of the Way of Grief" (Via Dolorosa in Latin) is located within the old
city of Jerusalem. It starts from the place where he was tried and convicted
near the Lions' gate on the eastern side (Muslim quarter). It ends in the
crucifixion place, Golgotha, where the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is located
in the west side of the old city (Christian quarter).
Field Day 4: Benjamin Field
Study
I get to know what a crazy
king that Herod was at the Herodium, who makes me to relate to the first
emperor of the unified China, Emperor Qin who built the Great Wall. Herod was a
crazy murderer as well as a crazy visionary builder. The “Massacre of the
Innocents”, following the visit of Wise Men from the East to pay homage to the
baby Jesus, is recorded only in Matthew’s Gospel. Other sources record that the
murderous Herod had two of his sons strangled, executed one of his 10 wives for
treason, killed numerous in-laws and on his deathbed ordered his eldest son
beheaded. Herod, who ruled Judea on behalf of Rome from 37 to 4 BC, was also a
man of great architectural vision. His projects included the Second Temple in
Jerusalem, the desert fortress of Masada and the city and massive harbour works
at Caesarea. He chose the site of Herodium because it was near the scene of a
crucial battle victory against a bitter rival, Antigonus, the last Hasmonean
king.
Dominus Flevit is another
moving site for me because of the compassion that Jesus has shown to Jerusalem
with his tears. This poignant incident occurred during Jesus’ triumphal entry
into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday, when crowds threw their cloaks on the
road in front of him and shouted, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of
the Lord!” Looking down on the city, Jesus wept over it as he prophesied its
future destruction. Enemies would “set up ramparts around you and surround you,
and hem you in on every side . . . crush you to the ground . . . and they will not
leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time
of your visitation from God.” (Luke 19:37-44) Within 40 years, in AD 70, Jesus’
prophesy was fulfilled. Roman legions besieged Jerusalem and, after six months
of fighting, burnt the Temple and levelled the city.
The Sanctuary of Gethsemane,
in respond to the Jesus prayer, “My Father, if it be possible, let his cup pass
from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt” a poet named MB wrote
this, “O Jesus, in deepest night and agony you spoke these words of trust and
surrender to God the father in Gethsemane. In love and gratitude I want to say
in times of fear and distress, ‘My Father, I do not understand you, but I trust
you.”
Week 2
Field Day 5: Jerusalem
Approaches Field Study
Jericho, the lowest place on
earth 1300 feet below sea level and oldest city with 10,000 years of history. After
Jerusalem, Jericho is the most excavated site in Israel. Charles Warren in 1868 sank several shafts
but concluded that nothing was to be found (he missed the Neolithic tower by a
meter!). Germans Sellin and Watzinger
excavated 1907-13, Garstang 1930-36 and Kenyon 1952-58. An Italian-Palestinian team excavated for
several years beginning in 1997.
Tel Gezer, situated near the
International Coastal Highway and guarding the primary route into the Israelite
hill country, Gezer was one of the most strategic cities in the Canaanite and
Israelite periods. Gezer is a prominent
33-acre site that overlooked the Aijalon Valley and the road leading through it
to Jerusalem. The tell was identified as
biblical Gezer in 1871 by C. Clermont-Ganneau who two years later found the
first of many boundary stones inscribed with the city's name.
The most amazing thing at
Tel Gezer is the series of ten standing stones were uncovered in early
excavations of the site (they were found laying down and re-erected by
archaeologists). Poor excavation makes
these masseboth difficult to date, but most archaeologists believe they are
from about 1500 BC, in the heyday of the Canaanites. Some of the stones are more than three meters
high. The stones may have represented a
treaty alliance (cf. Exod 24) or have been a cult center (cf. Lev 26). What
Macalister identified as a Maccabean castle is actually a beautiful monumental
gateway from the time of Solomon, similar to those at Hazor and Megiddo. The date of this gate is confirmed by the
presence of a destruction level underneath it (from the unnamed pharaoh who
gave the city to Solomon) and a destruction level not long after its
construction (by Shishak in 925 BC).
Biblical history is dramatically confirmed by these archaeological findings.
Field Day 6: Southern Arena
After
tracing the conquering routes of Joshua during the last two bus trips, I can
feel how desperate the Israelites wanted to settle in the promise land. Some
people from the tribe of Judah settled in the Hill Country. They lived in the
cinomanian cave, with good terre sora soil, spring, and everything they needed
to live. I can imagine that was a peaceful period that they built the family
and society. As the Psalmer praises God, “
As
good days do not last long, during the Judges period Israel involved in many
conflicted with the Philistines and the Canaanites.
Field Day 7: Biblical Negev
and Greater Negev
During
the end of the second week I was very tired and the hike in Negev was an
experience of wilderness and desert. However, I found some interesting
information about the Negev. The Negev, meaning “South” in Biblical Hebrew,
extends from Beersheva in the north to the port of Eilat on the Gulf of Aqaba
in the south, with Jordan on its eastern border and Egypt on its southern
border. The Negev has a deep history. It is the area where the Jewish nation’s
forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, looked after their flocks. It is filled
with dirt, rocks and canyons, as well as breathtaking landscapes, waterfalls,
caves, archeological sites, cities and craters. Covering an area of 4,600
square miles, the Negev comprises over half the land mass, or 66% (over 6,700
square miles) of the State of Israel. Its elevation ranges from a height of
3,400 feet above sea level to 1,150 feet below sea level. Five different
ecological regions fall within the area of the Negev. These range from the
“Mediterranean Zone,” with fairly fertile soils to inferior soils where little
can grow without special soil additives. People originally thought the Negev
was virtually uninhabitable, but as Israel’s first Prime Minister, David
Ben-Gurion realized “The Negev offers the greatest opportunity to accomplish
everything from the very beginning.”
Some Critical Facts about
the Negev:
The Negev is mainly inhabited by Jews and Bedouins.
14.3% of Israel’s population currently resides in the southern part of the
country. This includes 14.6% Jews. (Central Bureau of Statistics, 2007)
For centuries the Negev has been ‘home’ to Bedouins,
who in recent years have increasingly settled into more permanent homes and
left their nomadic lifestyle. Much of these buildings have been done
illegally.
Many Arabs want to use the Negev to divide Israel and
connect areas of the Judean and Hevron Hills to Egypt and Gaza.
The growth rate of the population of the Negev has
been negative since 1996 and continues to decline. National priority has been
given to the Negev. The aim is to increase the population in the region from
535,000 in 2005 to 900,000 by 2015.
Many of the current IDF bases from the center of the
country are expected to move to the Negev. This will have a positive influence
on the development of the region.
Field Day 8: Masada, Dead
Sea, and Quran
Quran,
I believe it is one of the most favorite places for Old Testament scholarship
since 1992. Before the great discovered of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest
Hebrew manuscripts are dated 1000AD, but the Quran manuscript pushed it way
back to 2-3BC.
The
most memorable activity in the Holy Land is definitely the Dead Sea where the
natural magic power unlike all other seas. It is known in the Bible as the
"Salt Sea" or the "Sea of the Arabah," this inland body of
water is appropriately named because its high mineral content allows nothing to
live in its waters. Other post-biblical
names for the Dead Sea include the "Sea of Sodom," the "Sea of
Lot," the "Sea of Asphalt" and the "Stinking
Sea." In the Crusader period, it
was sometimes called the "Devil's Sea." All of these names reflect something of the
nature of this lake. The Dead Sea, unlike the Sea of Galilee to the north, does not figure
prominently in the biblical narratives.
Its most important role was as a barrier, blocking traffic to Judah from
the east. An advancing army of Ammonites
and Moabites apparently crossed a shallow part of the Dead Sea on their way to
attack King Jehoshaphat (2 Chr 20).
Ezekiel has prophesied that one day the Dead Sea will be fresh water and
fishermen will spread their nets along the shore.
Field Day 9 and 10: Samaria,
West Bank
Sacah-
Cinomanian
limestone
Cave, terre sora soil, stratified, sura-limestone, bedrock, waterretaibung,
spring, dweeling place, Winter rainly season, animal dung, to stay warm,
yeast cleaning after the winter, plowing, sowing, celebrate when they
can, wheat, grains
Men are fighting and farming;
Women doing everything
else
as Proverb 31 is demanded by
very pragmatic life, their goal is to
stay
alive, land and children are the two most important things.
Sons in
heritage life is protected, sexual life is protected, preserve who get
the land.
Marriage is for economical and social, sutiving and fighting
together
tracel is hard strong leaders keep them together
Solon door-two ways in the sorek wadi
system
Shephelah
Shiloh, Hebrew meaning, safe and tranquil, was the place where
Joshua was portioning the land of Epgraim. Here is the acient central cultic
site for the cannanites, israelites, Byzantines, and later Muslim. It located
at a good geographical site, west of the Patriarchal Highway, isolated,
surrounded by low hills and wider v-shape valleys.
Samaria, later called Sabate
in Greek, the modern day Sebasia,
is the third capital of the Northern Kingdom
of Israel during Ahab's reign. It has good defensive position while open easy
access to the west in order to trade with the Phonecians and Philitines.
Although Ahab was successful in view of economic, political, and military, the
way that he brought the foreign gods to the people of the Lord made he evil in
the eye's of God.
Week 3
Field Day 11: Hazor
Hazor is the third Six
Chambers Gates fortified city that Solomon built after Gezer and Megiddo. Hazor
was a 200 arcds city dated back to 3 millennium BC. We discussed the Haram
issue here, God's commend to burn everything in the city (Jos.11:11). As
Christian I still struggle to understand the killing of the innocent people. In
Duet. 7, God commanded Israelites to devote them to complete destruction. First
we can understand it as the
things that Israelites captured were not for them to
have, but to burn or set apart to God, Horamalate, means religiously forbidden
for you. The second interpretation suggested by Trinity Seminary scholar
Younger that the book of Joshua should be read as other Ancient Near East
conquest narratives.
The second issue that
brought up today is the church's message and work for the conflict in Syria.
What Gospel can be peach to them, and how peace can come
into the reality. As I
look at what Jesus has done with the conflict between Romans and Jews, he
offered a new way: not to escape and not to kill, but to lead the Way to be a
blessing. He loved and served, healed and fed, taught and died. He is the way,
the turth,and the life. His Kingdom is not on earth but in heaven. The Church
is to be light and salt, transforming lives, influencing the societies, and
making different in the world, as we continue to preach the kingdom of God and anticipate
King
Jesus to return and reign.
Field Day 12: Sea of Galilee
In the morning, the Sea of Galilee is calm. We left Ein
Geiv, Kibbuts, to the shore. I learned that Jesus had a very strategic plan for
the gospel to spread from Magdala, Capernaum, and Bethsaida, named as the
Gospel Triangle.
I felt it as unbelievable as most Jewishs on the day that
Jesus, as a techtan, read Isa. 61 and said to his villagers that today these
words fulfilled. Without accepting Jesus as the Son of God, I can never believe
a man can heal the sick, restore people
lives, and impacted the world really up
side down. His twelve disciples are coming from all sorts of backgrounds with
different agendas. John and James who were John the baptist disciples
originally representing the Essenes. Simon who renames Peter and his brother
Andrew were fishermen from Caperaum representing the Jews avoided paying tax to
Mattrew who collect up to 80% tax at Caperaum. These men originally had
different interests and even conflict with each
others. However, I am amazed
how Jesus bonded them together and gave them commends to work collaboratedly
and love each other. They are the new tribes of Israel, and we are continuing
their mission as body of Christ to the end of the earth.
Field Day 13: Mt. Arbel
At
the Mt. Arbel, I finally understand the reason Jesus was giving the Great
Commandment there. Geographically, Mt. Arbel is located on the west side of the
Sea Galilee. At the edge of the mountain cliff Jesus can point to the towns on
the west among the Gentiles where Hippus, Roman Polis, and pagan worship was
happening in Decapolis. On the north of Sea Galilee, the plain of Bethsaida
would represent the half gentiles and half Jewish territory where international
trading and traffic interceded. On the west of Sea Galilee, Jews were living
under harsh and oppressed condition under the reign of Roman. Jesus gave his
disciples commandment to make disciples among all nations. Indeed, from the Mt.
Arbel we, JUC bus 2, can clearly see the Gospel triangle and understand that
the shalom of Jesus will one day binding Egyptians, Syrians, and Jewish to
worship together on the promise land.
